School is NOT cool

Today we had a great converstation about school and how it not only educates us on subjects such as math, science and english, but how we also learn many latent lessons that we may not even be aware of. I believe that today's school systems are way too concerned about grades. I can confidently say that our school is 100% focused on grades. It isn't about what you learn along the way, but rather about the success of your outcome. I do not think that is a good lesson to be teaching students. Does that mean if I have a job where I make a lot of money but im unhappy im living a good life? I would say no. I think if schools operated in more unconventional ways students would walk away with a more positive experience. The journey is just as, if not more, important than the destination. We've learned from such a young age that we need to conform. If you go into a 1st grade classroom and ask a student to draw you a picutre, chances are they will ask you what to draw. This shows conformity at its finest. Rather than having the freedom to draw whatever they'd like, the student feels like they need to be told what to draw. I hope that in the future schools can become more flexible and let students flourish in a way that is benifical for them.

The World Around Us

This past week in class we have been talking about our the environment shapes the person we become. There has always been an ongoing battle between nature vs nuture and I believe each plans a significant role in who we are. We are born with our genes, and these give us certain things like our eye color, our height and the color of our hair. Those are things we simply cannot control. The way we act, the things we value, and the music we like are all things that are a product of our society. Everything around us shapes who we become. This is known as socialization. I definitely would not be who I am told if it wasn't for my friends and family. Last week we watched the movie Tuesdays with Morrie. I really enjoyed the movie and there was one quote that Morrie said that I really agree with, "There is nothing innately shameful about being dependent. When we were infants we needed others to live, when we are dying we need others to live, but here's the secret-in between we need others even more." I think that quote is so true. Sometimes people are ashamed of being dependent on others, but in reality it is not a bad thing. If it wasn't for all the wonderful people in my life, I don't think I would be able to make it through each day.

Sex Drugs and Violence

Is that all America is really about? In the Bemused in America article it was very interesting to see a foreigner's prospective on many daily things that Americans do like go to the grocery store, go on a jog or even just watch tv. Many Americans don't realize it but our lives are always moving. We are always looking for the most efficient and practical way to get things done. That may not seem like bad thing, but this causes us to miss the little things in life. We are so worried about being active sometimes it's as if we are totally absent from our own lives. This can also been seen in the movie Tuesday With Morrie. Mitch, the main character, has lost touch with one of his old professors because his life is too preoccupied with his job, traveling, and his girlfriend. Once he takes a step back and his examines his life, he sees everything he has been missing out on. I think it is important for everyone to take some time for themselves, to reflect on their lives. With all of America's crazy distractions, it's easy to get off track sometimes. But what's important is knowning when to slow down. Even though we are only about 7 weeks into our curriculum, sociology has already changed the way I look at my life. I've learned to take in my surrondings more and be more aware of what's happening around me. I'm excited to continue my studies in soc :)

Different Cultures

Our new unit in class is discussing different cultures. It's so cool how different all of the world's societies are. A big difference in culture is hand gestures. In the Western world a gesture means one thing and in another culture it can be completely different. I think it'd be awesome to travel to other countries and experience the way they live their lives. Even though it would be hard to adjust at first, I think it would be well worth it. We talked about the types of toliets that are in other countries. In Japan the toliets are very low to the ground and you need to squat to use them. Americans think that is so strange but we need to let go of our ethnocentric perspective in order to see it is just normal life for the Japanese.

Down here my guys bigger than yours is

In the movie A Bronx Tale, Sonny is like a god to C. C looks up to him in every way possible but he doesn't really fit in with Sonny's crowd. C is apart of 3 major groups: Sonny's gang, his friends, and his family. His father is trying to look out for him and do whats best for him but C just wants to do what he has his mind set on. He wants to be Sonny's friend. I don't really think he fits into Sonny's group. C is trying to be something he is not and he's better off just being himself. His friends also are not the best indication of who he is as a person. I don't think he agrees with all their beliefs in reference to African Americans and violence. I think C is best off just representing his family. His father is a hard working man who takes pride in what he does. As the movie continues, I hope that C realizes he can be amount to more than what people around him have achieved.

Gang Leader For A Day

I thought this article was very interesting. It's cool that the authors research started out with surveys and questionaires and ended up becoming a real life experience. I don't think I would have the courage to do what he did. I give him a lot of credit for hanging out with these thugs to further his sociological knowledge. This article defintely made me realize that I take for granted many aspects of my life. I have a loving family, a roof over my head and I'm on my way to recieving an excellent education. What more could I truly want? I also thought it was really cool that a girl in our class had come for this type of lifestyle before going into high school. Although she said it was hard at first, she has made a really good transition. It got me to thinking what if the situation was vice versa? What if I had been thrown into the world of "thug life" on the street of Chicago? I don't think I would ever make it out alive. I'm very grateful to be where I am today and have the love and support from my friends and family.

What's for dinner?

For homework we had to read the Suvivors of the F227 article. The story talks about a rugby team from Uruguay that was on a flight. The weather wasn't too great but the pilots persisted. Unfortunately, the plane crashed and many of the passengers died. The others were left to struggle for survival in very harsh winter conditions. With very little food and shelter, all the survivors could do was hope. When they found out that the search for them had been called off, they didn't know what to do. They saw dead bodies lying around in the snow, being preserved, and knew what had to be done. They had to eat their friends and family to survive. Many people in class said this story grossed them out. For some reason, I didn't have the same reaction. As terrible as it may seem, the people did what they needed to do to survive. Like the article said, this is no different than recieving a heart or kidney transplant; the dead sustained the living. It's hard to comment on such a serious situtation when I myself was not in the place of those people. But I can say rather confidently that I would have done the exact same thing. Does that make me a bad person? Should I be stigmatized for this? I would say no. The social construction of reality says that different rules apply to different societies. Up on that mountain, the game was completely different. The survivors had no choice but to eat the other's remains if they wanted to survive. You gotta do what you gotta do. And I definitely feel that these people by played the correct rules for the situation they were in.